Tiramisu Bundt

We went to a Christmas party last weekend and we were told to bring dessert. I gave Mrblocko a choice of several different bars, cakes and pies. This was his choice: Tiramisu Bundt with Mascarpone Kahlua Frosting.

On the left is the unfrosted cake. No pan stickage! Hooray for Pam with Flour! Never before would I get such a clean release from the pan by greasing and flouring the old fashioned way. The right side is obviously the frosted side. I thought it looked a bit boring so I tossed on a few mini semi sweet chocolate chips to add some visual interest.


I've never used mascarpone cheese before. I wasn't even sure I'd like it. Most people pronounce it Mar- ska - pone. I've been mispronouncing it for years. Its actually Mass- car-pone. I didn't find that out until I was trying to find out what Mascarpone actually was. I wasn't sure if it was a cheese or a cream. I found out from here that it's actually a cheese that is creamy and spreadable like butter.
The website also tells you how to make your own Mascarpone. It also provides a listing of where the cheese is sold in your state. If that isn't good enough for you, or the cheese proves to be cost prohibitive/you don't have the time or inclination to make the real thing, the website also provides recipes for similar tasting substitutes. Luckily, I found Mascarpone easily at Meijers and it was cheaper than I thought it was going to be. Yay me!
Holy cow. The frosting was bloody brilliant. There was a small amount left over from frosting the cake and Mrblocko and I ate it on Ritz crackers. I have enough Mascarpone cheese left to make another batch of frosting. I'm seriously tempted to make another batch. I probably would if I wasn't already swimming in Christmas cookies and candies.

I wasn't entirely pleased with the cake itself. The Kahlua and coffee flavored layers were a bit of a disappointment. I expected them to stand out more from the unflavored part of the cake. Instead, they both sort of floated up to the top where it was hard to distinguish them from the brown of the baked top of the cake. I thought they were a bit gummy as well. I'm not ashamed to admit that I ate the unflavored parts and scraped the frosting off the top.
The hostess of the party told everyone to bring desserts. Only three people wound up having a slice of this cake, so there was a plethora of leftovers. Even with us Blockos munching on the cake the rest of the weekend, there was still just over half a cake left. Mrblocko gladly took the remaining cake with him to work where it was met with rave reviews.

His co-workers really hit the jackpot because this cake seemed to improve with age. I think they got to eat the cake when it was at it's best. I don't know if that is true just for this particular bundt cake, or for all bundt cakes. I have to make another cake this weekend, so I'll test out that theory by baking that cake a day in advance.

Would I make this cake again? Probably not, but I'll definitely make this frosting again.

Tiramisu bundt cake with Kahlua Mascarpone Frosting from Taste and See
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup espresso or very strong coffee
1/4 cup Kahlua

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan.In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Working in two or three additions, alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk into the bowl, ending with an addition of flour, and mixing just until everything is incorporated. Remove 1 cup of the batter into a small bowl. Remove another cup of batter into a second small bowl. Add espresso to one of the small bowls and whisk until well-combined. Add Kahlua to the second small bowl and whisk until well combined. Pour half of the plain batter into the bundt pan and spread into an even layer. Pour the Kahlua batter into an even layer on top of the plain batter. Pour espresso batter on top of Kahlua batter. These batters may be slightly thinner, but do not mix or stir them. Carefully spread all remaining plain batter into the bundt pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 15-20 minutes, then turn cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.


Kahlua Mascarpone Frosting
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
4-ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup Kahlua
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl and beat at medium-high speed until very smooth and fluffy. Use a butter knife or spatula to apply the frosting to the bundt in a thick, even layer.